Orchard-heater or smudge-pot



A. C. POTTER. ORCHARD HEATER 0R SMUDGE POT. APPLICATION msn Dsc.1|, 1920.

1,394,218, Patented Get. 18, v1921.

y'Hlll- Q VUNITED STATI-:s

ARTHUR C. POTTER, OF MISSION, TEXAS.

ORCHARD-HEATER OR SMUDGE-POT.

Application filed December 11, 1920.

T o all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. Po'r'rnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mission, in the county of Hidalgo and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Orchard-Heaters or Smudge-Pots, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved draft flue and damper carried by a cap especially adapted for use in connection with heaters or crude oil smudge pots, which are commonly used in various orchards during frosty weather, particularly in citrus fruit orchards.

Considerable inconvenience and trouble has been experienced with various devices of this kind now in use, for the reason that when thc draft is opened enough for proper service, the flame from the smudge pot or heater will readily blow out, especially in windy weather. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a draft flue and damper to withstand the most severe and erratic winds, the damper capable of being opened to suit any temperature, without im pairing its efficiency in protecting the draft.

A still further purpose is the provision of a hea-ter or draft Hue and damper carrying cap, wherein the draft flue is detachable as well as the damper, and the damper may be adjusted to any desired position relatively to the opening in the wall of the cap and relatively to the assage through `the flue, so as to govern t e draft in its passage into the chamber of the draft flue and thence through the capf As a further purpose the invention aims to provide means for fastening the chamber and the draft flue to the wall olf the cap.

While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forth is deemed preferable, it is obvious that as a result ofv a reduction of the invention to a more practical form for commercial purposes, the invention may be susceptible of changes, and the right to these changes is claimed, provided they are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure l is a View 1n elevation of the im- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 19.21.

Serial No. 429,947.

proved orchard hea-ter or smudge pot, showing the cap with the improved draft flue and damper applied.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View througli the cap, the flue and the damper.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on line 8 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified construction o'f fastening for the draft flue and damper to the cap.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring more especially to the drawings, l designates a conventional form of smudge pot or heater, particularly of the crude oil type, wherein the fluid, suoli as crude oil is placed for burning purposes, and the upper part thereof terminates in a marginal flange 2, and 3 denotes a cap vto engage the smudge pot or heater. This cap is preferably frustoconical in contour, though it may be of any other suitable shape, and its lower larger end terminates in an angular-flange 4, a portion of which extends into the pot or heater, so as to support the cap upon ,the heater. The cap has its upper smaller end connected in any suitable manner, such as indicated at 5 to an elongated flue 6. It is seen that this flue is broken at the point indicated, thereby indicating that the flue 6 may be of any length desired. The wall of the cap is provided with an opening 7, and secured in any suitable manner, preferably by spot welding or brazing at such points as indicated at 8 is an angular flange 9. This flange 9 is arranged on the side of the cap and extends up adjacent the opening 7. It will be noted that the flange 9 is preferably angular in contour, and in fact has downwardly diverging portions. The upper parts of this angular portion or guide flanges are connected by a transverse portion l0. The side guides of the flange 9 are engaged bythe angular flanges 1l of the flue 1.2. The flanges ll `of the flue 12 may be securely frictionally engaged with the guide flange 9, and in such a manner that under any ordinary conditions the flanges V1l cannot be moved, or the flue 12 cannot be moved. The flanges ll are formed on the sides of Vthe flue l2 asextensions of the sides, and

due to constructing these flanges angular, rabbets or longitudinal recesses 13 are caused to be formed on the sides of the flue 12. By so constructing the guide flanges 11, and providing the guide recesses 13, it will be noted that a slide or damper 14 may engage therewith, and regulated to control the draft in its passage through the opening 7. The damper or closure 121 carries a knob 15, and due to the slide or damper 14 being mountedin the rabbets 13 so as to move, it is capable ot being adjusted relatively to the opening 7, .in order to govern the air in its passage through the, flue and thence through the opening 7, and nally out through the cap andthe flue 6, which is atn taehed to the trusto-conical cap. lt will be noted that the flue 12 is semi-cylindrical in cross section, and in side elevation it is somewhat truste-conical shaped, as shown clearly in F ig. 1. The upper end of the lue 12 is provided with a top flange 16, the iiange 17 of which engages the flange above the opening 7, thereby assisting in holding the flue in place and preventing the escape of air. Y Y

In order to control the draft through the flue l2, the operator may grasp the handle ot the damper between the iue and the side lwalls of the cap or heater, and move the damper so as to control the draft through the opening 7.

ln Figs. and 6 a different form of guide flanges for the flue on the cap are provided. These guide flanges are ot one piece of sheet metal, and it is to be noted that the ilue and the damper arefcapable of movements or detachment independently or' each other. Namely, the damper may be de- Y tached without disturbing the flue, and also the flue can be changed without disturbing the position of the damper, whereas in the other figures the idamper 111 can be removed without disturbing the flue, but in this form should the flue be removed, the damper is likewise removed. l,lVhile the connections of the iueand the damper may be of any general construction, it is obvious that the best results are obtained by the particular form or construction of flue and damper herein shown.

The top 16 may be spot welded or brazed, or otherwise secured to the upper end of the flue.

rlhe damper or slide 14 frictionally en gages between the outer face of the cap and the opposite wall of the rabbets 13, s0 as to hold the damper or slide 14 frictionally in position, when adjusted.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as being useful is: Y

1. ln an orchard heater, a cap .adapted to be operatively supported upon an orchard heater or smudge pot, and provided with an opening, a flue connected to the upper end oit the cap, a flue disposed adjacent the side of the cap, said side iiue having a communicating opening with the interior oi? the cap, a damper mounted in guides and adapted to control the draft through said opening, and means fortfastening the flue and the damper detachably and movably in position.

E2. In anV orchard heater, a heater or smudge pot, a cap operatively mounted upon said pot and having its upper-end 'rounected to a Hue, said cap having an opening in its side wall, an adjustable dainper for said opening, an elongated flue arranged on the cap and having one end registering with the opening and extending downwardly and slightly outwardly relatively'to the heater or pot, whereby the draft may be drawn up thereinto and enter the cap or flue. l

.3. ln a heater, a heater or smudge pot, a {misto-conical cap operatively supported on the pot, a liue connected to the upper end of the cap, the wall of lthe cap having an opening, a damper therefor, a flue with a tapering contour and being semi-circular in cross-section having one end closed and the sides oE the flue arranged adjacent the side ot the cap, said last mentioned flue being engaged over the opening in the cap,

guide iianges on the side of the cap onV oppositesides of the opening and at the top, the sides of the last mentioned flue having extension flanges engaging the guide flanges et the cap, so as to hold the flue over the opening, the flanges of the sides of the last mentioned flue having guide rabbets for the reception of the damper vwhich covers the opening.

in testimony whereof l signature.

hereunto aiilx my ARTHUR o. POTTER. 

